New and noteworthy books from Queen City authors
by J.J. Holshouser
In Unbound Gifts, Douglas Young’s debut novel set in Charlotte, a young enslaved boy named Henry has a remarkable mental gift. When his owner discovers his special talent, he takes Henry away from the plantation to live at his house in town so he can study him. As Henry grows up, he is drawn into the Civil War, forced to accompany his owner’s son — a Confederate soldier — into battle. When the war is finally over, Henry must decide whether to chart a new course for his future or return home to find his family. Young, who lives in Cornelius, has a Ph.D. in biology, though he has spent decades studying slavery and the Civil War.
Local journalist-turned-minister John Cleghorn has written a book about how churches can use innovative approaches to create affordable housing. In Building Belonging, Cleghorn, pastor at Charlotte’s Caldwell Presbyterian Church, explores the roots of Charlotte’s housing crisis and recounts how his own congregation repurposed church property to create 21 affordable studio apartments for the homeless. He also presents case studies of other congregations across the United States who have embarked on similar journeys.
Charlotte City Council member Malcolm Graham has released The Way Forward, a tribute to his sister, Cynthia Graham Hurd, who was killed in the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Graham, who spent 18 months working on the book, reflects on the life of his beloved sister and describes the aftermath of learning she was one of the nine victims killed while attending a Bible study at Charleston’s oldest Black church. Graham wrote the book to honor his sister and to serve as a reminder that issues of hatred and racism are still prevalent today.
Award-winning author Vanessa Miller’s new historical fiction novel is based on the 1921 race massacre that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Filling Station follows two sisters who live in Tulsa’s prosperous Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street. When racial violence erupts in the city leading to white mobs setting fire to the district, the sisters’ lives are upended and they are forced to flee. During their escape, they stumble upon the Threatt Filling Station, which serves as an unlikely source of hope and place to process their pain. The sisters ultimately return to Greenwood to create a new future for themselves and their community.
In Deadly Secrets, Nancy Stancill’s third book in her mystery series, reporter Annie Price moves to Charlotte to investigate Kingston Avery, a power-hungry minister. Avery who has convinced the government to section off the North Carolina mountain region into its own conservative state, known as Westcarolina. As Annie digs deeper into Avery and his cronies, she uncovers secrets and a series of killings that put her in the crosshairs of danger. Stancill, a former investigative reporter for The Charlotte Observer, is donating half of the book proceeds to an Asheville-based charity helping victims of Hurricane Helene.
In 2005, Charlotte neighbors Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford — both writers — published Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball, considered the most comprehensive account of American women’s basketball ever written. They recently updated and expanded the book, exploring factors that have contributed to the growth of the game and featuring players who have used their visibility to become leaderson social issues such as race, sexuality and opportunity.
Set in North Carolina’s Rockingham County, Boys, by Roger B. Newman, tells the story of two boys — one white, one Black — who grew up as brothers during the Great Depression on a dairy farm in a town beset by racial intolerance. The brothers eventually leave home to join the Army, but even as they chart separate paths, their lives continue to intersect in ways that leave both forever changed. Newman, who lives in Charleston, based the story on his own family history and his grandfather, who owned a dairy farm in North Carolina.
Local neurodiversity expert Beatrice Moise, a board-certified cognitive specialist, released a new book, Neurodiversity and Technology, focused on helping parents of children with ADHD, autism, anxiety and other learning disorders manage screen time. Moise, who has written two other books on parenting neurodivergent children, offers practical advice for setting appropriate boundaries around technology and managing transitions in and out of screen use.
Kids’ Fare
In Yetta’s Diamond, Sheila Peltzer shares her family story of four generations bound together by a precious family heirloom. For children ages 10-14 and their parents.
Arnie the Armadillo Goes Backpacking in Brazil, by Eden Estabrook, introduces children to familiar “B” words as they follow the beloved armadillo’s journey to South America. For children ages 5-8.
In Luke and the Lost Bell, Megan Miller tells the story of a boy’s struggles and triumphs as he battles cancer. For young cancer patients and their families.
